


Missing Moments

by bracus09



Series: SEAL Team Week - 2021 [1]
Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Genre: Amnesia, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28836300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bracus09/pseuds/bracus09
Summary: When a tragic event takes leads to some unexpected consequences for one of Bravo.
Relationships: Naima Perry/Ray Perry
Series: SEAL Team Week - 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114379
Comments: 5
Kudos: 43





	Missing Moments

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to SEAL Team Week 2021!
> 
> This is my contribution to Monday with the theme of amnesia.
> 
> If you are looking for Sunday's... yeah, look for it next Sunday since I got the dates mixed up and its not quite finished yet.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. I have like only 3 one-shots for the week, and the others are multi-chaptered fics. BTW, this one is a monster! :)

He didn’t know how he got there. One minute he was making his way through a room and the next, he was lying in a pool of ice-cold water, pinned amidst a pile of debris.

A beam lay across his chest making it virtually impossible to move. His entire body was numbed by the cold causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

Prying an arm away from his body, he keyed his mic, “Bravo 6 to all Bravo call signs.”

His breathing was labored as the pressure on his chest increased. The pain was quickly replaced by fear as he turned his head to take in his surroundings.

The water that he lay in was rising. In a matter of minutes, it would cover him completely. He would drown. He keyed his mic again. “All Bravo call signs! If anyone can hear me, I have crashed through the floor and in need of assistance.”

He thought he heard something, a faint voice in the static. By the sound of it, the voice was coming from the floor above where he had been only a few short minutes ago.

“Bravo 6?” Came the call.

Trying to remain calm, Clay called out again, straining to keep his head above the rising water. “Sonny! I’m down here!”

The voice drew closer. “Clay?!”

A helmet light flashed down on Clay. This time the voice that called to him was filled with relief. “Jason! Ray! I found him! We have to go down one floor!”

Sonny looked down at his Little Buddy, trying to keep the panic from his voice. “Hold on Ken Doll, we’ll be right down.”

Clay’s teeth chattered as he spoke, his voice tinged with playful sarcasm. “I’m not… going anywhere, Cowboy.” He took a shuddering breath. “Can you hurry up though… it’s getting’… kinda’ soggy in here.”

Sonny nodded yes and gave Clay a weak smile before he and the beam of light disappeared.

Clay listened to the sounds of footsteps moving away. The fear inside of him was now turning to terror as the water deepened around him. “Come on guys…”

Then it happened. Without warning, the beam shifted, pressing him down and the debris below him collapsed, plunging him under the water.

Clay struggled wildly trying to bring his head above the liquid. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t reach the surface only inches from his face.

Flailing about, he shoved violently at the beam with all his might, kicking his legs against the debris beneath him. His lungs burned, screaming for oxygen.

Clay knew if he breathed in, he would die., but he couldn’t stop it, the urge was too strong. He gasped and his lungs drew in the water. Choking on the liquid, his body tried to expel it, but there was nothing but water to breathe in.

A part of his brain remembered what their first aid course that they were required to take about drowning victims as he choked and gagged… each movement slowed. He felt sharp stabbing pains in his lungs and eyes; his entire body protested everything that was happening to him.

His struggle lessened as the cold numbed him further and he slowly succumbed to the lack of oxygen.

He never heard the footsteps splashing toward him. He couldn’t call out to them to let them know where he was. His last thought, “Did Sonny feel this way in the torpedo tube?”

His body twitched one last time as the hand that clenched the beam loosened and slid silently back into the water, his eyes staring upward, not seeing a thing.

***

Bravo team rushed through the building, locating the stairs that would take them down one floor. Brock was the first to reach the doorway, and he ran through it with the rest of the team closely behind.

When they reached the bottom of the stairwell, Brock’s voice has a slight note of panic. “The door’s jammed, it won’t open.”

He motioned for Sonny and Ray to help him. They pushed at the door, and when it finally gave way, water rushed into the stairwell.

Trent cursed under his breath, knowing that Clay only had a few minutes before he would be submerged. They had to find him before the water got any higher.

Sonny moved past Ray and Brock, with Trent right behind him. “He’s this way, come on.”

They sloshed their way through, careful to not trip or fall. Sonny scanned the area in front of him. He was sure that was where he had seen Clay. Glancing upward, he saw the hole where the floor had given way.

Sonny’s heart beat wilding as he looked back toward the ground. There was the beam that Clay had been pinned under. It must have shifted and that meant…

Trent had come to the same conclusion that he had. “Oh my god, Sonny…”

Bravo went as fast as they could through the still deepening water. When they got close to the beam, they could see their brother beneath the surface. A shiver went down everyone’s spine as they looked at Clay’s face. Lifeless eyes that stared blindly back at them through the murky liquid.

Time was a factor now and they couldn’t waste it checking the stability of the beam or anything else for that matter. Clay was already technically dead and if they didn’t get him out of there, he would stay that way. Jason wasn’t about to let death win this battle. “Let’s get this beam off of him.”

With Sonny and Ray working together, they were able to lift the beam. Trent reached down and grabbed the loop of the back of Clay’s tactical vest. As he tried to pull him up, something held fast.

Groping around Clay’s shoulders and head, Trent found the reason for him not being able to pull his body free. His pack was snagged on a piece of debris.

Working it free, he hauled Clay’s lifeless body up and Brock helped Trent as he staggered under the waterlogged weight. ‘What in the hell was he supposed to do now?’ Trent thought. ‘Take him to the stairwell and wait for the others?’

Pushing the panic down, Trent shut off his emotions. He had to be a medic now, not a friend.

“Sonny, Ray…” He looked frantically around for any surface above the water. He thanked God as he spied a worktable against the wall to their left. “… help me get him over there.”

Carrying Clay’s limp form, Brock and Trent started to get him to the table. Trent held onto Clay while Brock removed Clay’s pack and then they placed him on his back. Trent could see his own fear mirrored in the faces of Bravo standing beside him.

“Jason, contact HAVOC. We are going to need a med-evac ASAP for him.” Trent said.

Jason turned his head to talk to HAVOC, taking a second to look at Clay’s bluish face.

Ray said a prayer as he made his way back to the stairwell, making sure no tangos could sneak up on them. He knew Clay was dead, but he prayed to God that Trent would be able to bring him back. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen to Bravo if they lost their brother.

***

With trembling hands, Trent began to unstrap the tac-vest. He couldn’t help taking quick looks at Clay’s face. The bluish skin, the half-opened eyes. He took a deep breath as he practically ripped open his camo shirt. He wasn’t dead… he couldn’t be. He wouldn’t let it happen.

Trent stared at his hands, cursing under his breath. He hadn’t checked for a heartbeat and had almost started chest compressions.

Pressing his fingers to Clay’s neck, he found a faint heartbeat. One part of him was shocked while the medical part of him was not. This wasn’t unusual in a drowning victim. It meant the chance of revival was good.

As he began mouth to mouth, his mind ran over everything he had been taught about drowning victims. Get them breathing again as soon as possible… without oxygen there would be brain damage. With each breath into Clay’s lungs, he tried to calculate how long it had taken them to get from the floor above and down to where they were now.

Trent pulled back as Clay’s lifeless figure suddenly jerked away from him. He felt his body go weak in elation as his brother began coughing violently. He gave Sonny a quick smile.

Sonny tried to smile back at him, but it wavered. “Trent… he’s going to be okay, right?”

Leaning over Clay, Trent helped him to roll to the side. The coughing had changed to gagging. When he retched up water and phlegm, Sonny flinched.

“Trent?” Sonny asked him again.

“It’s… trust me Sonny, he’ll be okay.” Trent said.

There was a light pinkish tinge to the phlegm, indicating there was some damage to the lungs. What level of damage would be decided once they got to a hospital.

Helping him lay back, Trent smiled reassuringly at Clay as he spoke in even, calm tones. “Clay, I need to ask you a few questions, okay?”

Clay’s body shivered uncontrollably. He looked in Trent’s direction. Blinking slowly, he appeared disoriented. When he turned his head away to look at the wall, Sonny bit his lip.

“What wrong with him?” Sonny asked.

Trent ignored Sonny. Taking a hand, he turned Clay’s head back to him, making his voice more forceful. “Clay, can you understand me?”

This time he received a direct stare and to his surprise, had his hand batted roughly away.

***

Sitting in the ER waiting room, Sonny fidgeted. Twisting the sleeve of his top, chewing on his lower lip, picking up a magazine only to immediately throw it back down. It was in a foreign language, no use attempting to read that.

Sonny’s thoughts darkened and a blanket of depression returned to weigh heavily on him. Clay liked to read those foreign magazines. ‘What if he couldn’t read any longer? What if he was so whacked out that he’d never return to operating again.’

“Sonny, has Blackburn come out yet?” Trent asked.

Sonny’s head snapped up to stare at Trent’s concerned face. He had left the waiting room to try to find anything about Clay. Sonny couldn’t imagine having to break this news to all their families. Naima loved Clay like the brother that she never had. And all the kids! He thanked God, he wasn’t married and had to deal with shit like that. “No… Blackburn hasn’t been back.”

“Oh,” Trent says.

One simple word that held so much emotion. Sonny could see that Trent was just as worried as he was. If he was worried, then Clay really was worse off than Trent had let on. He couldn’t stop the words that came out of his mouth. “He’s gonna be a vegetable. You should’ve let him die.”

Trent’s mouth dropped open in shock and he jumped out of the chair that he had just settled in. “Don’t say that Sonny! I don’t ever want to hear that from your mouth again, do you hear me?!”

Sonny flinched at the loud outburst by the normally calm Bravo 4, then openly glared at him. ‘Who was he to be telling him what to say?’ “Yeah, I hear you, but I’m right. Have you ever seen someone who…” His voiced trailed off. He didn’t want to remember, but it all came back to him in a flood of memories and emotions. The screams of terror, then the silence.

“Sonny?” Trent tried to get his attention.

Shaking his head no, Sonny dropped his face in his hands. Johnny. He hadn’t thought about his cousin in years, now it was all he could think of.

Him and Johnny at the lake. Them going off in a rowboat, horsing around, having fun. ‘What kid wouldn’t have done what they did on such a wonderful summer day?’

Rubbing his hands over his face, he leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling to avoid looking at Trent. He didn’t want to answer him. Saying everything out loud would reinforce what had happened then and what was about to happen now.

“Sonny, what happened?” Trent asked.

Looking at Trent, he frowned. “Nothing… nothing happened.”

Trent gave him that look. The look he always gave anyone on Bravo when he knew that they were hiding something. He might as well tell him because he wouldn’t let up until he did.

“My cousin… when I was a kid, I had a cousin who drowned. We went out in a rowboat and somehow, we tipped it. I was able to hold on, but Johnny… he didn’t. Ya’ know I can still hear him yelling for help, but the worst part was when he stopped yelling. It was stupid ya’ know. Two kids who couldn’t swim for shit, out in a boat but… we weren’t afraid. We had been out on the lake a million times and nothing ever happened.”

“I’m sorry.” Trent said in empathy.

“Yeah, well so was I. When my uncle and dad came looking for us… man, my uncle went nuts. Dad pulled me into the boat and my Uncle Bob dove into the lake and the next thing I know he’s dumping Johnny in the boat. I remember watching him trying to get Johnny to breathe again and he did! I was amazed that he could do something like that. I thought everything was okay.” Sonny fell silent and looked down at his now interlaced fingers.

“But he wasn’t okay was he, Sonny?” Trent asked.

“No. Johnny… he wasn’t normal after that. Mom used to go and help Aunt Mary take care of him. They had to treat him like he was a baby again. Spoon feed him, change him… it was sickening Trent.” Sonny explained.

Looking at the top of Sonny’s head, Trent now understood why he was so worried. “That’s not going to happen to Clay.”

“Yeah, and how do you know that? You saw him; he couldn’t even remember his name. Hell, he didn’t even know we were there.” Sonny spat.

Trent knew he was in for a battle with Sonny. The man had a tendency to latch onto what he felt was the truth, no what really was. “Sonny, how long was your cousin under?”

Sonny frowned. “I don’t know. The boat tipped and then it seemed like forever before my dad and uncle showed up. It could’ve been five minutes, it could’ve been twenty.”

“Clay was only under for two or three minutes.” Trent explained.

“Yeah… but it doesn’t mean he’s going to be okay.” Sonny fought back.

“Sonny, he was disoriented, that’s normal for a drowning victim. Remember when you got out of the tube?” Trent attempted to reason.

Sonny shuddered over his own brush with drowning. He then sighed heavily. “Man, I hope you’re right Trent. Clay wouldn’t want to be like that… deserves better ya’ know.”

“Yeah, I know. Trust me, Sonny he’ll be okay.” Trent reassured.

Sonny sighed again and began pawing through the pile of magazines. Finding an old issue of National Geographic, in English, he settled back in his chair to wait.

Trent sat back down and looked around the waiting room. There were a few other people sitting in small groups, side-eyeing the obvious “tourists”. He knew their numbers would increase soon. Jason, Ray and Brock would be up. They had gone down to the hospital cafeteria to get some coffee. The only thing that would prevent them from staying would be if they were ordered out by Blackburn.

Leaning back, he prepared himself for the worst. What he told Sonny was the truth, but as with everything in life, what was supposed to happen wasn’t exactly what always did happen.

***

Following Sonny’s lead, Trent looked through the pile of magazines at his side. He smiled as he found a Dr. Seuss book titled ‘Green Eggs and Ham’.” It was the only other English magazine/book that he could find in the pile.

“Any word yet, Trent?”

Trent slammed the book shut and shoved it under some magazines before looking up at Bravo 1. “Uh… no… there’s not word yet.”

Looking past Jason, he found Brock smirking at him.

Ray handed Sonny a cup of coffee and leaned against a wall, his hand automatically going into a pocket of his pants he wore. His fingers found the worn cross that usually stays in his go-bag. When they changed, he grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket. He rubbed absently at it, lost in thought.

Brock’s smirk had faded, but the smile in his eyes was still there. Sitting down beside Trent, he picked up an issue of some magazine and made a point of waving it at Trent.

Jason handed Trent a cup of coffee, then looked down the hall. There should have been some news by now. Then again, wasn’t the saying no news was good news?

It was then that the door to the room that Clay was in opened. Instead of seeing Blackburn walking out, Clay’s attending physician appeared.

Standing, Trent’s heart began to race. It was bad. He knew it. If only they had gotten to him sooner.

The physician stopped before the group and smiled. They looked like a bunch of boys standing under the bleachers of a pitch caught smoking.

As soon as everyone saw the smile on the physician’s face, they all slumped in relief. The doctor wouldn’t be smiling if it weren’t good news.

“Thanks to your quick work out there, it looks like Mr. Spenser had beaten the odds.” The physician stated.

Sonny yelled. “Hell yeah!!!”

Everyone turned to look at Sonny. The goofy smile he wore stayed. “So sue me! I won’t have to break in a new rookie since Tinkerbell is okay.”

The physician tapped the pen in his hand on the clipboard he was holding. Trent caught the movement. There was something more to it. Clay wouldn’t be getting released to go home any time soon. “How’s he doing? Can we see him?”

Sonny piped in. “Yeah, can we go and see him Doc?”

“Once we have him stabilized, we’ll move him to a room. Then you can see him.” The physician responded.

Cocking his head to the side, Sonny frowned, his voice sounded irritated. “Stabilized? I thought you said he was okay?”

“No, I said he beat the odds. He’s not dead. We’re working on getting his core temperature back to normal and we’re monitoring his heart rate, lungs and myriad of other things. He’s not out of the woods yet gentlemen.” The physician patiently explained.

Trent finally found the nerve to ask the most important question. “Um, Doc… Clay was disoriented when we brought him in…”

The physician smiled. He knew what the medic wanted to hear. “And that’s all it was. Disorientation. We’ve questioned him on a number of things. He know who he is, knows he’s at the hospital, he’s just having a bit of trouble remembering how he got here.”

Trent finally felt some of the fear that was twisting his stomach into a fade. Clay wasn’t brain damaged. “That’s good to hear.”

“Yes, it is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and make arrangements for some testing to be done.” With a final smile, the physician turned away from the relieved group. It was always nice to be able to give good news for a change. Hopefully, Mr. Spenser’s body would cooperate and he wouldn’t have to worry about bringing them any bad news.

***

Running a hand over his face, Jason leaned back and winced as his back twinged. The hard plastic chairs they placed in the emergency waiting rooms weren’t built for comfort, even if the people sitting in them usually did so for long periods at a time.

Looking at the clock on the wall, he frowned. It had been almost an hour since the attending physician had been out to see them. Looking around the room, he could see that the rest of the team were getting a bit restless as well. Just as he was about to go and see if there was any update, when the door opened.

Standing, he along with Ray, Sonny, Trent and Brock watched as a gurney was wheeled out of the room. They could barely see Clay’s form between the tubes and people surrounding him. As the gurney disappeared down the hall, Blackburn made his way toward the group. Stopping before Bravo team, he looked at each of his men.

“He’s stabilized for now. His temperature is within normal range; his blood pressure and heart rate look good. For now, he’ll be placed on oxygen and antibiotics and he’ll be under observation. Barring any complications, Clay could be released to go home in a couple of days.

Sonny’s face screwed up and his voice rose slightly. “What type of complications? I thought you said he was doing okay.”

Trent hesitated before answering him. He knew how emotional Sonny could be and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with it at the moment. He was saved from having to answer Sonny by Jason stepping forward. “Son, we will meet any complication as they come up. If they come up.”

“But what happens if they do happen to Blondie.” Sonny started.

“Sonny, that’s enough.” Jason said forcefully.

Jason turned to Blackburn and gave him a grateful smile. “Do you know when we can see him?”

“I’ve already asked the nursing staff to let you know as soon as they get him settled in.” Blackburn stated.

Jason nodded. “We will start a rotation so we don’t overwhelm the staff.”

Just as Sonny opened his mouth to complain or call first dibs on the first shift, but Jason interrupted him. “I got first shift. I want all of you to get some rest, and hopefully we will get to see him soon.”

Sonny was going to raise a stink, but Ray grabbed on to his bicep and shook his head. With a muttered curse, Sonny followed Ray and the rest of Bravo out of the building.

***

Jason sat down and looked around the emergency room for what seemed like the thousandth time. Now that he knew Spenser was out of the woods as far as being dead or brain damaged, he could relax a bit. The tightness ins his chest and the upset stomach that had been churning for the past few hours were now fading.

With a guilty feeling, he reached out and dug under the pile of magazines next to him. Finding the Dr. Seuss book that he saw Trent stash there, he sat back and set out on a mental journey into a land where no one ever got hurt or died. Back to when his own kids would cuddle with him and he would read to them.

***

When the nurse finally came to get Jason, she had to wake him. His back ached as he unfolded himself from the uncomfortable plastic chair. With a sheepish grin, he rubbed at the small of his back while trying to discreetly drop the book in his other hand on the table in a way that she wouldn’t see what he had been reading. “How’s he doing?”

In heavily accented English, she responded, “He’s doing well.”

The look in her eyes betrayed her words.

“But…” Jason supplied.

The nurse looked at her feet and then at Jason. “There is always the chance of complications. Try to think positive.”

Jason nodded his head absently, thinking of all the things that could go wrong. He thought back to what Trent was muttering on the medi-evac. Heart failure, pneumonia, damage to the lungs, the list went on depending on the victim and the time they were submerged.

Victim. He didn’t like the word, especially if it pertained to Spenser. Clay wasn’t a victim; he was a teammate and brother. He was family.

“Can I see him now?” Jason asked.

The nurse gave Jason a small smile and ushered him out of the waiting room.

***

Slowly pushing the door open, Jason peeked his head inside the room. It was something he would never get used to no matter how many times he saw one of his brothers injured, and when it was Clay, it seemed to hit him harder.

This time had been too close. He had actually lost him. Yes, Trent had managed to pull him back from death’s grip, but what if he hadn’t been able to? What if they had been a minute or so late in finding him or getting him out from under the debris?

Stepping into the room, he stared at Spenser. Except for his breathing, he didn’t move. As he drew closer to the bed, Jason felt a surge of relief wash through him as he noted the color in Spenser’s lips and nails. The bluish tinge was gone, replaced by a normal healthy pink.

Standing beside the bed, he resisted the urge to reach out and brush the blonde curls off Spenser’s forehead, the way he would do with Mikey when he was sick. Spenser wasn’t a little boy and it made him feel squeamish to show how he was really feeling.

What if Davis or one of support walked in and saw him doing it? Worse yet, what if Blackburn or one of the guys came in? He can’t have everyone thinking that he is going soft. Instead, he stood as close to the bed as he could and held onto the railing that surrounded his supine brother.

His eyes traveled along Spenser’s body, taking in the IV, then the heart monitor. The thing that relieved him the most was seeing only a nasal canula instead of a respirator. The fact that he was breathing on his own was a good sign.

Walking to the foot of the bed, he continued to look down at his youngest team member. Rubbing a hand across his eyes, he frowned. This was ridiculous. Why did he feel like crying when Spenser was alive? Why was he fighting to keep a tight rein on his emotions?

Jason went back to stand at the head of the bed. He remained frozen in place, counting the respirations. Spenser may have been alive, but until he could see him walking out the hospital, he wouldn’t relax for one moment.

He felt cheated when Davis came and told him he needed to get some down time, too. That she got the next shift. He had wanted Clay to open his eyes. He had wanted to see that stupid, cocky grin of his. Taking one last look at Spenser’s sleeping figure, Jason walked into the hallway, then glanced at his watch. If he were lucky, he’d be able to catch a few hours of sleep before coming back to the hospital.

***

In his dream, he was drowning. The water in his lungs choked him, the scream was soundless. They wouldn’t get there in time. He knew he was going to die and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do except lay there trapped only inches from the surface. His vision faded and then there was darkness.

Jerking awake, Clay squinted his eyes against the pain. Bringing a hand up to his face, he stopped the motion as he saw the IV attached to him. What was he doing with an IV? Looking around, he saw that he was in a hospital room.

His mind was a jumbled mass of confusion. Did he really drown? All he could remember was standing guard in the tunnel and hearing something and going to investigate it. Had a tunnel been flooded?

Bringing a hand to his chest, he noticed that it hurt the breathe. His eyes hurt too. Okay… so maybe he had swallowed some water judging by the oxygen he was on. Then again, this pain wasn’t anything like he had experienced before. No, it had to be something different.

Looking down at the foot of the bed, he slowly sat up. He noticed what looked like a medical chart in a holder. In any third world country, electronic medical records were not the standard, but it benefited him right now. Straining forward he stretched a hand out and snagged the top of the chart hanging at his feet. No, he wasn’t a doctor, but reading a medical chart couldn’t be that hard.

He stared at the pages, not really believing what he was reading. It was in a foreign language, but luckily it was one that he knew. He frowned and cursed under his breath. Reading physicians handwriting sucked. Deciphering the chicken scratch and then translating what was written, he felt his mouth go dry. He had drowned, it wasn’t a dream.

Sliding the chart back into place, Clay lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling until his eyes began to water. Closing them, he tried to remember how it had happened, but all he could remember were snatches of the dream, not really what had happened.

His eyes snapped open as a feeling of panic overtook him. His heart raced in his chest as he fought down the overwhelming terror. He may not have remembered everything, but the feeling of not being able to breathe overrode everything.

Willing himself to relax, he tried to even out his breathing. His best now ached and his eyes burned. He had drowned and died, only to be brought back. Who saved him? Was his team okay? There were too many questions that needed to be answered.

He needed to talk to someone. He wanted to know if everyone was alright. Picking up the call button, he pressed it, counting the seconds that it would take for someone to respond.

He smiled as he realized that at least he wasn’t mentally impaired in some way if he could still count, read and know different languages.

The door to his room opened and he smiled as the nurse walked in.

***

Waking, Clay rubbed at his face before even thinking of what he was doing. He quickly pulled his hands away as his eyes stung. Blinking slowly, he remembered brief snatches of a conversation with the nurse. Between the chart and her telling him things, he was assured that his team was okay and yes, he had drowned.

He hadn’t remembered falling asleep after the nurse had come into the room. Now that he thought of it, he didn’t really know how he had gotten there. His brain was like a piece of swiss cheese. Too many holes and not enough substance. The little that he did remember made him relax a bit. The nurse had said he may have aches and pains, but from what she could tell, he was doing remarkable well.

The door to the room swung open and he sat up a bit. Trent stepped in, followed by Sonny and Brock. All three of them wore wary expressions as they greeted him.

Waving his hat around, before seating it on his head, Sonny gave Clay a smile. “And Sleeping Beauty awakens!”

Clay stared intently at Sonny, then peered around him to look at Trent and Brock. He gave them a small smirk. “What’s with the change in hairstyles?”

Sonny grinned. Clay was okay, he was already trying to get them in a prank. “You’re a load of laughs, Blondzilla. Just because you came back from the dead, it doesn’t mean you can expect us to fall for your lame-ass jokes.” Sonny and Trent smiled at one another.

The door opened and Jason and Ray strolled in. Jason walked to the end of the bed and gave Clay a big smile. “Sorry we were held up, we were coordinating your transfer to the plane so we can fly home.”

Spenser stared up at Jason, then shot Ray a questioning look. As he ran a hand through his curls, he stopped in mid-motion.

The small feeling of uneasiness that had begun to settle in the pit of his stomach now flared into full-fledged panic. Fingering his hair, he looked around the room. Everyone had different hairstyles than he remembered, Bravo 3 and 4 were joking with him and THE Jason Hayes was acting friendly with him, like he knew him well. “Uh, not to sound rude, but why are you talking to me?”

Jason’s smile faded and the room grew silent.

Sonny snickered. “That’s real funny Peter Pan. You couldn’t get us with the hair crack so now you’re pretending you don’t know us.”

“Um, yeah. Pretty sure our talk during surveillance couldn’t have been that good.” Clay look around at Bravo wearily.

Ray could see that Clay was becoming agitated. This wasn’t him playing a prank or a joke. Trent came to the same conclusion and picked up the call button and pressed it.

Soon, the same nurse as last night stepped into the room. “How can I help you?”

“Uh, remember what we talked about last night? I think something’s wrong.” Clay stated.

“What is wrong?” She asked.

Running a hand through his hair again, Clay gave the nurse a wavering smile. “Well, for one, my hair is longer than I remember." He nodded in the direction of Sonny, Trent and Brock. “Their hair is different.” He took a deep breath and looked at Jason and Ray. “And they are acting like they know me extremely well when I know I have just met them.”

The nurse took one look between Bravo and Clay and could tell this development was affecting both parties. It appeared that there was a problem and it could end up being a big one. She immediately took control of the situation. “Sorry gentlemen, but I think we’ll have to cut this visit short.”

Sonny’s face screwed up in confusion. “Why? Maybe if we ask him some questions, he’ll remember us better.”

Trent directed an irritated glare at Sonny. “Sonny, you dumbass, it’s not that easy.”

Jason motioned the men out, letting Ray be the last to leave the room. Ray stood at the end of the bed, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. How much did Clay forget? Would it be permanent? “Well, I guess I’ll get going so the doctor can come in.”

Taking a deep breath, Clay exhaled loudly. “Shit, I can never do things halfway, can I?”

The nurse smiled. “I’ll be back as soon as I can with your physician and a neurologist.”

“I’ll go find Blackburn.” Ray stated.

Clay’s look of annoyance made Ray smile again. His memory may have been spotty, but from the brief conversation he has had with him so far, he hadn’t lost any of his attitudes or characteristics. That had to be good.

Before Ray left the room, Clay gave him a hopeful look. “This isn’t you guys pulling a big joke on the strap, is it?”

“No Spenser, it’s not a joke.” Ray replied kindly.

Clay looked toward the closed door. “Why’d did Hayes leave? I know I’m a strap, but I thought as a team leader he would have hung around.”

Ray could see Clay’s frustration with the situation building. “Clay, you haven’t been a strap with us for over five years.”

“Five years?!” Clay exclaimed.

Ray winced as Clay yelled. Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned that little detail.

“Five years? You’re telling me I can’t remember five years of my life?!” Clay asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe you can remember some things and not others?” Ray offered up.

Clay’s voice was sarcastic. “Yeah right, and that’s why Quinn, Sawyer and Reynold’s hair all grew an inch or two overnight? That’s why you and Hayes both have gray hairs sprouting?”

Ray’s hand automatically went up to brush over his head, his voice a bit defensive. “I do not have gray hair.”

Clay smirked at him. “Do too.”

Without thinking, Clay ran his fingers over his head, a small smile coming to his face. “Haven’t had my hair this long since before basic.”

Ray frowned and dropped his hand to his side, resisting the urge to touch his hair. Spenser was right, he was getting some gray hair here and there, and he blamed all those hairs on him. Five years. Spenser was forgetting five years of his life. Five years of experiences and missions. So much had changed in the past five years, both on the job and off.

The door to the room pushed open and both Clay and Ray turned to watch the small group of medical professionals entering the room. Ray immediately made a move to leave. “We will be outside if you need any of us.”

Ray’s quick exit wasn’t lost on Blackburn, who was last to enter the room. He’d have to make sure he had a talk with Bravo after he was done checking Spenser’s condition.


End file.
